Old Ends and New Beginnings
by kierena
Summary: A new professor signs on with Hogwarts in the reconstruction after the battle of Hogwarts. The young woman, a foreigner to the streets of London, takes to her job with an open mind and heart. What awaits her in the castle, however, is something she is quite unprepared for. (Post Deathly Hallows AU)


"Perhaps I'm too forward in my thinking for a witch of my age, but I firmly believe that integration of the magic users into the muggle world and muggles into the magical world will reap us much profit." The lilting voice of the tiny asian firecracker known as Lilianna Sha rose from the crumpled form crouched over her mother's kitchen table. Her straight black hair forming a messy curtain over her shoulder. The 28 year old straightened her posture when a plate of eggs clinked down beside where he head had previously occupied.

"I understand your stance as well as anyone Li, but you cannot go saying things like that in public! As much as we gain, there is still the potential for much loss in the eyes of the pure-blooded and half-blood communities. They fear that the old ways will be lost." The elderly Sha commented, her short hair in a rumple from pulling off her apron, setting down with her own meal. Her daughter puffed her cheeks at the comment and picked at her eggs with a sullen look.

"Mamma, we have ALREADY lost the old ways! People are aware of them, but no longer are they practiced." Li pointed out taking a bite of her eggs. The older woman seemed to contemplate the thought a moment before taking a sip of tea from a pale blue china cup. The two women had been living in england for the past year, the battle of Hogwarts a 5 year echo when they first arrived. In that time, Hogwarts had reopened with Minerva Mcgonnagle as Headmistress for students that year. The reason for the move was so that the younger Sha could seek a job in the sprawling but recuperating magical community. Most recently Li had received an owl from the school requesting her to step in as the transfigurations teacher for the upcoming year. It made sense to her since her Mother was skilled in it and she herself did well in her studies in the asian academy, but she was surprised to find in the letter a note from the headmistress that contrary to rumor and previous commentary otherwise the now reopening school was not hiring a new potions master, the job she TRUELY wanted. Her father had been masterful with potion work, and was in his time a master on the subject of the healing arts in regards to potions.

"Hey mama the clause she put at the bottom about potions master, what do you think?" Li asked around a mouthful of eggs looking at the letter again. The elder Sha's eyes hooded in contemplation. The older woman's late husband had taken a call from the headmistress suddenly after the famous battle, Li knew, and that he had privileged her mother with information that was a secret before his death a year afterword.

"I think that will be for you to find out this year. I also think that London's ministry is a little too careful and hush-hush." The woman said sharply taking a bite of her own eggs. Li knew that the tone was a finalization of the topic, and continued on with enquiries about obtaining a wand, as the one she had obtained previously seemed to not function quite regularly with magical items in the british isles the way it should. Her mother had told her after the first incident that her father had remarked on such problems before with using items for healing magic, and that in a conversation on it with Albus Dumbledor during a brief stay at hogwarts in his younger years it was realized that the asianic woods and materials that they used in wand making gave the magic a more or less different flow. Her mother, being born and raised for the first 13 years of her life in england never encountered the problem. The two ended breakfast with the decision that the young witch should be fitted for a new wand.

The afternoon for them was spent in the busy streets of dragon alley, where Li was to buy a familiar (something not as commonplace in the chinese and japanese schools) and a new wand as all her other equipment was either provided or adequate as is. She left the first shop with a rather Large, but highly docile barn owl and a Half-knezel that was a coal black that almost matched Li's own hair. She figured that the owl would be needed so that her mother's could stay at home with her, and the Half-Knezel was a sweet animal that had been stuck in a corner by someone most likely thinking or taking it for themselves later. It purred happily as Li carried it down the street while her mother handled the owl which was silent. Li laid her hand lightly over her Ginko wood wand wishing that the Amabie hair core would work correctly with the many items she would need to interact with on a day to day basis in England.

Upon entering the refurbished Olivander's Wand Shoppe, Li felt instantly at ease. The cramped walls filled with wand boxes was almost homey to her, reminding her of her father's old study. The kindly old man behind the counter seemed so very nice, and curious about the woman's wand. He studied it carefully, and with a certain reverence for the craft put into the leaf carvings that the wand held on its hilt. "It is certainly a well loved wand, I hope you'll still hold onto it?" He had asked when he handed it back to her.

"Oh of course sir, it is a true friend and I would miss it if I had to dispose of it. Besides, I would need it should I have reason to return home." Olivander smiled at that and bustled off to the stacks to look for some wands for her to try. After a moment the man came back with 3 boxes in tow, grabbing what options he could think of to start with. The first wand was a flop, sparking wildly and the sputtering in the womans hand.

"No, I suppose not"

The second wand slightly more successful, managing to crash a series of boxes to the floor. Olivander shook his head slightly with pursed lips before slipping the next wand into her hand. The third one did little more than conjure a puff of noxious smoke that olivander and Li both agreed was a bad sign. Taking pause a moment, Olivander went to a stack in the back of the store, obviously one with more unique wood and core selections than the ones he drew from before. Reverantly he pulled down a worn red box and brought it up to the counter. Delicatly he pulled the wand from its housing and passed it into the young womans hands. The moment Li touched it she felt the familiar pull between the wand and her magic, and she smiled down at the wand. Olivander shared her smile before turning to package up the wand.

" 12 and three quarter inch, Willow wood and Pheonix tail feather. Nothing so extrememly unusual but still, the feathers are quite fickle things and are uncommon for a reason. It shall serve you quite well my dear." The old man smiled as he handed her the bundle. The glimmer in his eye was quite delighted and it made Li smile that much wider back at the shoppe keeper.

"Thank you Mr. Olivander, I hope you have a good year."

The man nodded and went to work re arranging the wands that had been disheveled in the prosess of finding the one for the younger woman who just left. Olivander looked back over his shoulder at the woman joining her mother outside. As he watched them walk away he leaned against the counter and murmurred to himself.

"A good year indeed! Surely it will be, with such delightful new people to lighten up these dreery streets. Because if I'm right about her, which I normally pride myself of being right about people, she'll help ease and heal some of the wounds these streets still endure."


End file.
